1. Field
Embodiments described herein relate to a semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a resistance change memory device employing a variable resistor as a storage element has been receiving attention as a successor candidate of flash memory. The resistance change memory device herein is assumed to include not only narrowly-defined resistance change memory (ReRAM: Resistive RAM) in which a transition metal oxide is adopted as a recording layer and a resistance value state of the recording layer is stored in a nonvolatile manner, but also the likes of phase change memory (PCRAM: Phase Change RAM) in which chalcogenide and so on is employed as a recording layer and resistance value information of a crystalline state (conductor) and an amorphous state (insulator) of the recording layer is utilized.
A memory cell array in the resistance change memory device has memory cells disposed at intersections of bit lines and word lines, each memory cell configured from a variable resistor and a current rectifier element such as a diode. In such a memory cell array, selection of a memory cell can be performed utilizing the current rectifier element such as a diode. In addition, a high density memory cell array can also be realized by alternately stacking bit lines and word lines to configure the memory cell array in a three-dimensional stacking arrangement.
In the memory cell array having memory cells disposed at intersections of bit lines and word lines, when an operation is executed on a plurality of selected memory cells, characteristics during a voltage application operation on the memory cells may deteriorate as the number of selected memory cells increases. In that case, there is a possibility that an accurate operation cannot be executed on the plurality of selected memory cells.